When Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was being promoted to viewers, it was clear that despite the African kingdom losing its king and protector, they were still an exceedingly powerful nation. So, this meant, whoever was going to lead the assault on the most powerful nation in the world had to be equally powerful – not just powerful but scary and ominous. Step forward, the K'uk'ulkan aka Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía), the subaquatic villain and king of the underwater kingdom of Talokan. To conjure up the most intimidating persona for the villain, director Ryan Coogler came up with an idea to make Namor’s wings tailored toward a deadly member of the animal kingdom.

A detail many might have missed while watching the action-packed sequel is the one in which the sounds of the wings were modeled to sound like rattlesnakes. In a recent conversation with Skywalker Sound, sound editors Steve Boeddeker and Benny Burtt revealed that Coogler’s suggestion for the sound of the wings came about two weeks before wrapping the film’s sound components. Boeddeker and Burtt recall how it all came about saying, "While we were always trying to make things believable. He was always in the emotional." The pair explained:

"For example, Namor's wings. At one point Ryan was just like, 'have you tried rattlesnakes? This may sound like a bad idea, but what about rattlesnakes.' So we did, we did a combination of all of them. But, the rattlesnakes were the things that made it ominous and scary. It made him dangerous sounding. That was honestly late in the game too. In the last two weeks, and idea that was thrown out and changed a lot for us."

The whole idea of the sounds is a testament to the ability and attention to detail Coogler puts into his work. Namor is known by his own admission, as the K’uk’ulkan by his friends and Namor by his enemies. The term “K’uk’ulkan” means the Amazing Serpent, a deity worshipped by the people of Mesoamerican culture upon which the underwater kingdom of Talokan draws its inspiration. The noise of rattlesnakes for wing sounds was a subtle yet necessary nod to the Feathered Serpent god.

Tenoch Huerta as Namor in 'Black Panther_ Wakanda Forever'
Image via Marvel Studios

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It is fair to say that Coogler’s suggestion was spot on, and the team is certainly glad that they took it on. It gives the film’s villain a more terrifying presence now that we know the source of the sounds that are emanating from his winged feet. It would be interesting to see what avenues are explored going forward with Namor, given his new alliance with Wakanda, we expect that this will not be the last time we see the K’uk’ulkan on our screens.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is playing in theaters now. You can watch the latest trailer below: